News: The Curfew Has Been Lifted in Baltimore
Reports Sunday morning that the curfew in Baltimore, following violent protests in the wake of the death of 25 year old Freddie Gray at the hands of police, has been lifted. The curfew was put in place Tuesday following a particularly turbulent protest on Monday, but after days of peaceful protests and the announcement on Friday that the six officers involved in Gray’s arrest were to be charged – Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake lifted the curfew, stating “My number one priority in instituting a curfew was to ensure the public peace, safety, health and welfare of Baltimore citizens… It was not an easy decision, but one I felt was necessary to help our city restore calm.”
According to a report by The Fader, the six officers – Caesar Goodson, Alicia White, William Porter, Brian Rice, Edward Nero, Garrett Miller – whom were all arrested Friday, were each out on bail by Friday night. Regarding the decision to press charges, Al Jazeera reports that prosecutor Marilyn Mosby stated that “Gray’s neck was broken because he was placed head-first into a police van while in handcuffs and later leg shackles where he was left to slam against the walls of the small metal compartment. Police said the officers who arrested Gray ignored his cries for help, because they thought he was faking his injuries. He was repeatedly denied medical attention. Mosby deemed the death a homicide. No dates have been set for trials but speakers at Saturday’s rally in front of city hall urged people to ensure that they were registered to vote, so that they can be called as jurors. Mosby surprised legal observers by filing charges against the officers herself, rather than seeking a grand jury indictment, a day after receiving the results of the internal police investigation and an official autopsy report.â€
Sports:
A hectic Saturday saw several major sporting events taking place that had to leave fans a bit dizzy; a few MLB games, the NHL and NBA playoffs, the NFL Draft as well as fight night in Vegas and the Kentucky Derby. Overwhelmed much? Let’s start in Louisville for the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby, where over 170,000 people turned up for the event. The winner was – American Pharaoh, and jockey Victor Espinoza, quoted saying after the race “I feel like the luckiest Mexican in the world.â€. From Kentucky we head over to the oasis in the desert, Las Vegas, for the Mayweather v. Pacquiao fight was a momentous occasion in boxing, as the two fighters have been teasing fans for years. We’ve previously detailed what was on the line for the two fighters, and at the end of 12 grueling rounds – Floyd Mayweather emerged the victor, and his undefeated streak extends to 48.